Turnitin is a software used to check for plagiarism in written work. It compares the submitted text to a database of over billions of web pages and other previously submitted papers to identify any instances of copying or paraphrasing. While Turnitin is able to detect paraphrasing to some degree, it is not a perfect system and can sometimes miss instances of paraphrasing or incorrectly flag text as being paraphrased.
Paraphrasing is the act of rephrasing or rewording someone else's ideas or text while still conveying the same meaning. It is often used as a way to avoid plagiarism, as it allows individuals to use the ideas or information from a source without directly copying the text. However, paraphrasing can still be considered plagiarism if it is not done properly or if the original source is not properly cited.
Turnitin is designed to identify instances of paraphrasing by comparing the submitted text to its database of previously submitted papers and web pages. If it finds significant similarities between the submitted text and a source in its database, it will flag it as potential paraphrasing. However, it is not always able to accurately identify paraphrasing, especially if the paraphrased text is significantly different from the original source or if the original source is not in Turnitin's database.
In addition, Turnitin is not able to detect paraphrasing if the original source is not properly cited. If a student paraphrases an idea or text but does not provide a proper citation, Turnitin will not be able to identify the source and will not flag it as potential paraphrasing. This can be a problem, as failing to properly cite sources is considered plagiarism, even if the text is paraphrased.
Overall, Turnitin is a useful tool for detecting paraphrasing, but it is not perfect and can sometimes miss instances of paraphrasing or incorrectly flag text as being paraphrased. It is important for students and writers to be aware of this and to properly paraphrase and cite sources to avoid plagiarism.
